


수수께끼 같은

by heartshxn



Category: Psychopath Diary (TV)
Genre: Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Bullying, Coming Out, Coming of Age, Dark Past, Dead Dove: Do Not Eat, Divorce, Drug Addiction, Drug Use, Fights, Friendship, Gang Violence, M/M, Minor Character Death, Minor Injuries, Multi, Parental emotional neglect, Self-Harm, Slow Burn, Suicide Attempt, Teacher-Student Relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-20
Updated: 2020-11-20
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:00:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,061
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27521926
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heartshxn/pseuds/heartshxn
Summary: When Yook Dongsik relocates into the city because of his father’s business, he meets an enigma in his new corrupted neighborhood. Or perhaps... several.
Relationships: Seo In Woo/Yook Dong Sik, Seo Ji Hun/Joo Young Min
Comments: 5
Kudos: 39





	수수께끼 같은

While passing through the street of strangers, the bright sphere in the sky gleamed light, almost as if it was inadvertently guiding the boy beneath it. With sweaty palms, he clutched the straps of his tattered, brown bookbag. His upper body was huddled together, slightly wrinkling his freshly ironed uniform as he brushed past the crowds. When trudging up an unfamiliar hill, the boy faced his new school accompanied with a large running track in front. 

The rusty gate at the building’s entrance was guarded by a man, who pulled other teenagers to the side for further inspection. The boy couldn’t help but overhear the older man scold two female students for wearing too much makeup while he stepped through the steel barrier. His eyes were nervously glued to the concrete as he trailed his way towards the school. He yanked his head up in sudden determination, fixing his crouched posture. 

_This is a new beginning! I shouldn’t be nervous! Everything will be fine! ...right?_

The boy dispelled his doubts and confidently strolled into the boy’s bathroom before stumbling out in pure embarrassment, realizing it wasn’t the teacher’s office. 

-

The boy picked at his fingernails, anxiously waiting for a cue to enter the classroom. He faced the wall opposite him in the hallway, attempting to steady his pounding heartbeat, quietly reminding himself that everything was going to be just fine. His heart almost leaped out of his throat at the sudden call from the teacher inside, the boy whispered his reminder one last time. 

His entrance was met with whines of irritation, muffled giggles, and small gasps. He settled a few inches alongside the teacher’s podium, hesitantly scanning the room. There were plenty of other students around his age, clothed in identical uniforms, and sat in parallel rows. The amount of eyes staring back in return caused his heart to pound in his ears this time as he cleared his throat. 

“Hello, my name is Yook Dongsik!” He gave a quick bow, brushing away some of his curls that flew to his face when he came back up. “I hope we can all be great friends, please take care of me!” 

Immediately after his brief introduction, the teacher kindly instructed him to take a seat next to Shim Bokyung. Confused, he scanned the classroom once more, noticing the shorter girl standing at her desk. She greeted him with an enthusiastic wave and a broad grin, making Dongsik scurry over. His new seat gave him a perfect view of the running track and front gate from earlier, plus a nice breeze every now and then. 

Even if he tried, the boy couldn’t fully comprehend what his teacher was teaching as he squinted his eyes at the blackboard covered in odd mathematical formulas. His minor frustration disappeared once Dongsik felt something nudge at him, taking a glance down at his forearm. He spotted the hand gently pushing an open book to him. 

“Here, we can share.” The girl named Bokyung smiled at him again. “I’ll get you caught up with everything.” 

The boy nodded gratefully and scooted closer to his seatmate. 

-

A cheerful melody emitted from the overhead speakers, signaling that class was over. Other students began to hastily pack up their belongings and dash out the doors of the classroom, meanwhile, Dongsik unfolded his schedule, checking what class he had next. The sheet of paper was soon snatched out of his hold and stuffed carelessly into his bag as the boy met the gaze of his seatmate once again. 

“Let’s go!” Bokyung motioned for him to stand. 

His eyes darted from the girl to his bag, and back to her. “B-But—”

“Everyone has lunch at this time, Dongsik-ssi. Come on!” She pulled Dongsik from his chair by the wrists, hauling him to the cafeteria. 

As rowdy as the large cafeteria was, it was comfortable enough to have a meal in. Everyone stuck to their private cliques, enjoying each other’s company with inside jokes and loud laughter. Since the boy didn’t want to be lonely, he remained on Bokyung’s heels, following her to her usual table. The long table happened to be quite empty and in the corner of the room, furthest away from the canteen but Dongsik didn’t mind. His palms gripped the lunch tray, trying his best to not drop his food while half-heartedly listening to the girl ahead ramble on about the boring problems from several minutes ago. Even though he already bumped into the corner of a table and nearly tripped over someone’s foot, what brought him to a full stop was the muscular body that slammed into his shoulder. His meal stayed secured but his small carton of strawberry milk fell, splattering onto the floor. The meager commotion captured the attention of some others nearby. 

“Watch it, dumbass!” 

Dongsik’s head lowered, staring at the drops of pink milk that gradually soaked into the fabric of his white sneakers. His hushed apology was cut off by a yelp as he was yanked around to face the stranger, feeling a throb at his skinny bicep. He pressed the tray against his ribs with his free arm, digging his bitten down nails into the metal, frightened. He didn’t dare look up. Dongsik was one hundred percent positive that this guy was angry.

From his peripheral vision, he saw a closed fist swinging in his direction. The boy squeezed his eyes shut, preparing for the painful impact. 

“Look at me you—”

“Don’t start a scene in the cafeteria man.”

The second voice made his eyes fling open, turning over to see another male student had saved him from the blow. The buff guy shoved him off, sucking his teeth, and left the room with the rest of his friends at his tail.

Bokyung dashed to his side, her face plastered in concern. “Are you okay?! I shouldn't have been rambling!” 

“I’m just in a bit of pain but I’m alright, don’t worry, Bokyung-ssi.” He moved her away from the pink puddle on the ground, ensuring that she wouldn’t slip. Dongsik then turned to the other boy. “Thank you for saving me from that punch.” He smiled sheepishly. 

“It’s no problem! Any friend of Bokyung is a friend of mine, I’m Heo Taeksoo.” He stuck out his bony palm, some fingers wrapped in bandages. 

Although Dongsik was curious, he shook it brightly. “Yook Dongsik.” 

When the three finally arrived at the table, the boy attempted to scrape off the stains that had dried on the surface of his shoe but to no avail, leaving him with a pout. Taeksoo seemed to notice his predicament and grabbed a hold of his feet, pulling out a pink marker. He watched as the other boy drew on stars and hearts, disguising the stains before giving him a toothy grin.

Dongsik thanked him with a giggle, picking up his chopsticks. “Who was that guy?”

“Jang Chilsung, he's a gang member.” Taeksoo blurted.

“W-What?!”

“He’s not a gang member, stop scaring Dongsik-ssi like that.” Bokyung flicked his forehead. “Him and his little group bully other students but there's a rumor that he does other things outside of the school. It’s just a rumor though.”

He let out a noise of acknowledgment, nodding cooperatively. “Do you know anyone else in the school, Bokyung-ssi?” The student shoveled a spoon of kimchi into his mouth.

“I know everyone from our class, I’m the class president.”

Dongsik choked. “You are?!” 

“I thought you knew.” The girl proudly showed off her shiny badge that was pinned to her outer jacket along with the words 반장 _(class president)_ engraved onto it. She rested her chin in her hand. “Besides the point, are you curious about anyone in particular?”

Dongsik looked over his shoulder and searched through the cafeteria, he caught sight of a male student who was immersed in reading some sort of book. He paid no mind to the talkative cluster that surrounded him. “What about him?” He pointed discreetly. “He didn’t even look at me when I was introducing myself this morning. Is he shy?”

The two followed the direction of his finger with their eyes. Taeksoo began to cackle.

“Shy?” He glanced at Bokyung. “I think I’m hearing things, did he just say shy?” He laughed, placing a hand on his chest. 

She scoffed. “He’s the literal opposite of shy.” 

Dongsik tilted his head.

“That’s Seo Inwoo. He’s in the music club with Jo Yujin, the girl across from him. They’re really competitive since they’re in the top two rankings for our school but somehow they’re friends.” 

“Aren’t you in rank three?” Taeksoo questioned. “You’re right behind them.”

“I dropped five spots since last semester, I’m in rank eight now.” Bokyung shrugged it off. “Inwoo’s father does a lot of funding for the school, his family is absolutely loaded. I’m surprised the two of them didn’t go to some fancy private school.” 

“Two of them…?”

“The funny-looking one at the table behind him is his brother, Seo Jihoon. They hate each other.” 

Dongsik realized it was none of his business and pushed his curiosity away again, choosing to be silent. The other boy beside him gestured to him to come closer, he complied as Taeksoo leaned into his ear. “I overheard that it was cause their father likes Jihoon’s mother more.”

“They’re half-siblings?” he whispered back, earning a nod. “What about the guy next to Jihoon?”

“Joo Youngmin, he’s on the basketball team. He and Jihoon are like best friends.”

Bokyung slid herself into the not-so-subtle conversation, lowering the tone in her voice to mock them. “He’s way too touchy.”

“With you?”

“With everyone.” The girl glanced behind Dongsik, suddenly becoming interested in her meal. “He’s coming over.”

Instinctively, he whipped around, spotting a boy confidently strutting towards their table. Granted that they all wore the same uniform but his attire seemed more expensive than theirs combined. The buttons of his jacket sparkled with each step while a foreign brand belt decorated his waist. He placed his palms on the surface of the table, hovering over Dongsik, their faces inches apart.

“You’re Yook Dongsik, aren’t you?”

The boy nodded slowly, sensing the stares of other students once more. The latter’s stern expression morphed into a cheerful smile as he made himself comfortable next to Dongsik, giving his cheeks a rough squeeze. “You’re so cute up close!”

The poor boy’s mouth was tugged into a smile of his own. He winced and pushed his fingers away, shuffling closer to Taeksoo. 

“I’m Youngmin, number seven on the basketball team. It’s nice to meet you.” He winked. 

Dongsik blinked back rapidly, bewildered. _Is this guy always like this?_

A familiar melody rang through the building. 

“Oh? Lunch is over.” Youngmin grabbed his wrist. “Let’s go.” The boy then proceeded to yank him up from his seat, dragging him along joyfully. Dongsik looked behind for some possible help, but instead, he was met with Bokyung and Taeksoo sending him off with hopeless waves. 

-

Since Dongsik did transfer to this school during the middle of the year, there was plenty he needed to catch up on. Thankfully, his seatmate had lent him her organized notes for classes that they shared. Bokyung had suggested for him to also take tutoring after school so he could be on track for the end of the year exam. However, he couldn’t afford one. The boy couldn’t ask his family either, they hadn’t adjusted to the new neighborhood yet. 

_Appa just got his restaurant started, I can’t be a burden… Let’s just stick to studying alone for now, it can’t be that hard!_

“Seo Inwoo and Yook Dongsik.” The teacher called, snapping him out of his short contemplation.

There were huffs of annoyance, a few others even sent dirty looks his way. Mostly females. His eyes darted around the room, landing on Bokyung who slung her bookbag on her back. 

“Why did the teacher say my name? Why are you leaving?” He panicked. 

“You dazed out, didn’t you?” Bokyung giggled, adjusting her wispy bangs. “Mr. Kim was assigning partners for a psychology project.”

“And I got…” 

The girl nodded sympathetically and gave him a pat on the shoulder, leaving the room. Finally, Dongsik packed his belongings, holding his new notes close to his chest. On the way out, he noticed another male student still sat at his desk. The boy instantly realized it was his partner and took a deep breath, approaching him. 

“Are you Seo Inwoo?”

The latter lifted his head from the sticky note he was writing on, gazing at him with a bored look on his face.

“I’m your partner for the project, Yook Dongsik.” He hesitantly stuck out his palm. “It’s nice to meet you.”

His eyes flickered from his hand back to his face, letting out an amused scoff. “You’re the new student, huh?”

Dongsik nodded rapidly, curls flying as Inwoo stood.

“Tomorrow, my house, 11 am.” The taller boy zipped his leather briefcase, turning on his heel. 

“U-Uhm, I don’t know where you live!” 

Inwoo kept walking. “Look down.”

With an eyebrow raised, he looked. The sticky note from before was now taped to the back of his borrowed notes. Dongsik took it off, discovering an address. 

-

The next day, Dongsik arrived at an enormous mansion with the assistance of the GPS app on his cracked phone. The home was enclosed with a high gate with some taller trees peeking out at the top. There was no doubt that he was at the right place so he timidly pressed the buzzer on the monitor outside, flinching at the loud bell that rang through the property. A gentle voice soon answered. 

“Who is it?” 

He swallowed the remaining saliva in his throat, seeing the miniature camera aiming at him.“I’m Inwoo’s classmate, Yook Dongsik. We’re supposed to be doing a project together?” 

“Ahhh! Come in!” 

Without another question, the gate opened with a click, exposing him to the wonders inside. The boy was greeted by marble stepping stones, several willow trees and a pond, accompanied by a compact waterfall. As he passed, he saw numerous types of fish swimming about, a few hiding behind the emerald lily pads at his sudden presence. A woman also greeted him with a wave at the front door of the premises, Dongsik responded with a kind bow. 

“You’re so adorable!” She complimented. 

“Thank you, Ms. My parents wanted to give you these as a small gift.” Dongsik held out containers of dried persimmons and another of cooked meat from his father’s beloved restaurant. 

“You didn’t need to, you’re too kind!” The woman took the gifts with a smile. “Please come in.”

The young student followed her inside, letting out a quiet gasp. He gaped at the dazzling chandeliers that were twice his size, hanging from the ceiling and the pair of porcelain staircases that lead to the second floor. Dongsik quickly caught up with the older lady, heading to what he thinks is the living room. 

“How did you know these were my favorite?” She asked, pointing to the box of dried fruit. 

He shyly shrugged. “Lucky guess?”

The woman let out a laugh, gesturing him to one of the black couches. “Take a seat! I’ll go get Inwoo.” She opened the door they just came through. 

“Are you Inwoo’s mother?” 

She froze, still gripping the doorknob. The woman nodded with a grin, stepping out. Dongsik took a seat, scratching his head at the strange aura that filled the room. 

After being in Inwoo’s home for half an hour, the boy had realized two things. He wasn’t much of a talker. Matter of fact, he did speak at all. And second, his butt was almost numb from sitting for so long.

_How the heck are we supposed to do a collaborative project if none of us are saying a word?! What’s the point of being here?!_

Dongsik cracked his knuckles and leaned forward. He wasn’t going to let librarian boy ruffle his feathers!

“Sooo, I heard you’re in the music club?”

The boy nodded. 

He clapped. “That’s so cool! What do you play? Piano?” 

“No.”

“Flute?”

Inwoo’s eyes stayed on the thick psychology textbook. “Violin.” 

Dongsik’s eyes lit up, making out the white violin that sat on his shelf. “Could you play me—”

“No.”

He pouted. “Why not?”

“You’re here to do this project.” Inwoo glared. “Not for me to serenade you.”

“Next time then.” He sighed, giving up. 

Inwoo’s mother entered the bedroom with two glasses of water. “Do you two need anything? A snack?”

Dongsik shook his head. “Oh no, it’s alright! Thank you Ms.” 

“Inwoo?”

He gave her a curt nod. “I’m okay, Eomma.” 

She smiled, giving his forehead a peck.“Okay. I’ll be in the kitchen if you need anything!” 

The woman left them alone together once more but the shorter boy continued to stare at the door. 

Inwoo threw his tacky yellow pencil case at him as it bounced off his mop of curly hair. “Focus.” 

“Sorry, you’re mom’s just very pretty.” He chuckled, picking it up. 

The other boy practically grew red. “Are you interested in my mother?”

Dongsik frantically waved his hands, eyes wide. “No, no! Oh my gosh, no! She’s just a pretty woman, that's all.” He grinned, returning to his notes.

 _Pretty?_ Sure, his mother was pretty. The most beautiful woman he laid eyes on. However, hearing it from someone else was peculiar. Inwoo saved these thoughts for later. 

-

Dongsik waved farewell from the rolled-down window of a car driven by one of the chauffeurs of their family as it left the garage. 

“Come back soon!”

Inwoo shot his mother a confused glance. “Come back soon? Why?” 

Once the vehicle disappeared down the road, the woman turned around. “You need friends. You’re going to end up alone.” 

Habitually, he followed her. “I prefer being alone.”

“What if I die one day? You won’t have anyone to cry to.”

“You’re not dying. I won’t allow you.” 

She rolled her eyes and took a bite of a persimmon. “Mmm! I should ask him where he got these, they’re good.”

The boy crossed his arms. “We didn’t buy those?” 

“Dongsik got them, he’s such a sweet boy. Try being friends with him!” She claimed, playfully poking his cheek. 

He blinked stupidly as thoughts from earlier resurfaced. 

_Yook Dongsik, what in the world are you?_

**Author's Note:**

> hello hello! this kinda took a while but I’m absolutely proud of it. I tried to incorporate their inside thoughts in this chapter and I think I did a pretty good job. happy one year anniversary to psychopath diary! I hope you enjoyed!!


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